奥瑟罗-3(1)

［A council－chamber. The DUKE and Senators sitting at a table；Officers attending］

DUKE OF VENICE

There is no composition in these news That gives them credit．

First Senator

Indeed， they are disproportion'd；My letterssay a hundred andsevengalleys．

DUKE OF VENICE

And mine，a hundred and forty

Second Senator

And mine，two hundred：Butthoughtheyjump noton a just account，——Asinthese，wheretheaimreports，'Tis oft withdifference——yet do they all confirm A Turkish fleet， and bearing up to Cyprus．

DUKE OF VENICE

Nay， itispossibleenough to judgment:I do not so secureme in theerror，But themain article Ido approve In fearful sense．

Sailor［Within］

What， ho！ what， ho！ what， ho!

First Officer

Amessenger from the galleys．

［Enter a Sailor］

DUKE OF VENICE

Now， what's the business？

Sailor

The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes；So wasI bid report here to the state By Signior Angelo．

DUKE OF VENICE

How say you by this change？

First Senator

This cannot be，By no assay of reason：'tis a pageant，To keepus in false gaze．When we consider The importaney of Cyprus to the Turk，And let ourselves again but understand，That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes，So may he with more facile question bear it，For that it stands not insuch warlike brace，But altogether lacks the abilities That Rhodes is dress'd in：if we make thought of this，We mustnot think the Turk is so unskilful To leave that latest which concerns him first，Neglecting an attempt ofeaseand gain，To wake and wage a danger profitless．

DUKE OF VENICE

Nay，in all confidence，he's not for Rhodes．

First Officer

Here is more news．

［Enter a Messenger］

Messenger

The Ottomites， reverend and gracious，Steering with due course towards the isleof Rhodes，Have there injointedthem with an after fleel．

First Senator

Ay，so Ithought． How many， as you guess?Messenger Of thirty sail： and now they do restem Their backward course， bearing with frankappearance Their purposes toward Cyprus． Signior Montano，Your trustyandmostvaliantservitor，With his free dutyrecommendsyou thus，And prays youto believehim．

DUKE OF VENICE

'Tis certain， then， for Cyprus．Marcus Luccicos， is not he in town？

First Senator

He's now inFlorence．

DUKE OF VENICE

Write from us to him； post-post-haste dispatch.First Senator Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor．

［Enter BRABANTIO， OTHELLO， IAGO， RODERIGO， andOfficers］

DUKE OF VENICE

Valiant Othello，we must straight employ you Against the general enemy Ottoman．

［To BRABANTIO］

I did not see you； welcome， gentle signior；We lack'd your counsel and yourhelp tonight

BRABANTIO

So didI yours． Good your grace，pardon me；Neither my place nor aughtI heard of business Hath raised mefrommybed， nordoth the general care Take hold on me， for my particular grief Is of so flood－gate and o'erbearing nature That it engluts and swallows other sorrows And it is still itself

DUKE OF VENICE

Why， what's the matter？

BRABANTIO

My daughter！O， mydaughter！

DUKE OF VENICE

Senator Dead？

BRABANTIO

Ay，tome；She is abused， stol'n from me， and corrupted By spellsand medicines bought of mountebanks；For nature so preposterouslyto err，Being not deficient， blind， or lame of sense，Sanswitchcraftcouldnot．

DUKE OF VENICE

Whoe'er he be that inthis foul proceeding Haththus beguiledyour daughter of herself And you of her， the bloodybook of law You shall yourself read in the bitter letter After your own sense， yea， though our proper son Stood in your action

BRABANTIO

HumblyI thank your grace ere is the man， this Moor， whom now， it seems，Your special mandatefor the state－affairs Hath hitherbrought

DUKE OF VENICE

Senator We are very sorry for't.

DUKE OF VENICE

［To OTHELLO］ What， in yourownpart， can yousay tothis？

BRABANTIO

Nothing， butthis is so.

OTHELLO

Most potent，grave， and reverend signiors，My verynobleand approved good masters，That I haveta'enawaythisoldman'sdaughter，It is most true； true， Ihave married her：The very head and front of my offending Hath this extent，no more Rude amI in my speech，And little bless'd with thesoft phrase of peace：For since these armsofmine had sevenyears'pith，Till now some nine moons wasted，they have used Their dearest action in the tented field，And little of this great world canI speak，More than pertains to feats of broil and battle，And therefore little shallIgrace my cause In speaking for myself.Yet，byyour gracious patience，I willaroundunvarnish'dtaledeliver Of my whole course of love； what drugs， what charms，What conjuration and what mightymagic，For such proceedingIam charged withal， Iwonhis daughter.

BRABANTIO

Amaiden never bold；Of spirit so still and quiet， that her motion Blush'd at herself；and she， in spite of nature，Of years， of country， credit， every thing，To fallinlove with what she fear'd to look on！It is a judgment maim'd andmostimperfect That will confess perfection so could err Against all rules of nature，and must be driven To find outpractisesofcunninghell，Why this should be． Itherefore vouch again That withsomemixturespowerful o'erthe blood，Or with some dram conjured to this effect，He wrought upon her．

DUKE OF VENICE

Tov ouchthis，isnoproof，Without more wider and more overttest Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods，Of modern seemingdo prefer against him．

First Senator

But，Othello，speak：Did you by indirect and forced courses Subdue and poison this young maid's affections？Or came it by requestand suchfairquestion As soul tosoulaffordeth？

OTHELLO

I do beseeh you，Send for the lady to the Sagittary，And let her speak of me before her father：If you do find me foul in her report，The trust，theofficeIdohold of you，Not only take away， but let your sentence Even fall uponmy life．

DUKE OF VENICE

Fetch Desdemona hither．

OTHELLO

Ancient，conduct them：you best know the place．

［Exeunt IAGO and Attendants］

And， till she come， as truly as to heaven I do confessthe vices of my blood，So justly to your grave earsI'll present How I did thrivein this fair lady's love，And she in mine.

DUKE OF VENICE

Say it， Othello．

OTHELLO

Her father loved me；oftinvited me；Still question'd me the story of my life，From yearto year， the battles， sieges， fortunes，ThatI have passed．I ran itthrough，evenfrommyboyishdays，To thevery moment that he bademd tell it；WhereinI spake of most disastrous chances，Of moving accidents by flood and field Of hair-breadth scapesi' the imminent deadly breach，Of being taken by the insolent foe And sold to slavery， of my redemption thence And portancein my travels' history：Wherein of antresvastand desertsidle，Rough quarries，rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven It was my hint to speak，——such was the process；And of the Cannibalsthat each other eat，The Anthropophagiand men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders．This to hear Would Desdemona seriously incline：But still the house-affairs would draw her thence：Which ever as she could with hastedispatch，She'ld come again，and with a greedy ear Devourup my discourse：which I observing，Took once a plianthour，and found good means To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart That I would all my pilgrimagedilate，Whereof by parcelsshe had something heard，But not intentively：I did consent，And often did beguile her of her tears，When I did speak of some distressfulstroke．That my youth suffer'd My story being done，She gave me for my pains a world of sighs：She swore，in faith，twas strange，'twas passing strange，'Twas pitiful，'twas wondrouspitiful：She wish'd she had not heard it，yet she wish'd That heaven had made her such a man：she thank'd me，And bade me，if I had a friend that loved her，I should but teach him how to tell my story．And that would wooher．Upon this hintI spake：She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd，And I loved her that she did pity them．This only is the witchcraft I have used：Here comes the lady；let her witness it．